


The Madness

by CourtneyKhaan



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-15
Updated: 2017-07-20
Packaged: 2018-11-14 13:24:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11208960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourtneyKhaan/pseuds/CourtneyKhaan
Summary: Scarlett McMahon was getting over a bad breakup and had everyone encouraging her to be happy again. But with happiness also comes a bit of lunacy. Repost.





	1. The Madness

This is a repost. The bar in this story is very real. The worst and the best karaoke you've ever seen.

 

*********khaan*********

 

_April 18th, 2014, Nashville, TN- Bridgestone Arena_

Scarlett was sitting in the gorilla position, eyes carefully trained on the monitor in front of her. The first match of the night had just started and she motioned to one of her aides, who ran up to her side.

"Find AJ Lee and Nikki Bella. Their match starts in 15."

"Will do, Miss McMahon."

Her eyes rolled and she smirked at the guy, who had only been on the job for a few days, "Hey Travis..."

"Yes, ma'am?"

"It's Scarlett or Scar. Not Miss McMahon and certainly not ma'am. Please leave those for Stephanie and my mother. Got it?"

"Yes, Miss...Scarlett. Got it."

As he ran off, Scarlett just smiled. She'd had many PAs- production assistants- in her time as Head of Live Production, but she always had to teach them the important things:

1) She always called the wrestlers by their stage names, unless she was face to face with them. It just made things easier. Instead of calling someone by their real name and having the PA look at her in confusion.

2) She was nothing like her sister and mother, who would use any tactic to get what they wanted. Sure, she could've been in a much higher position in the company but that almost assuredly would've required her to be on TV and she simply didn't want that kind of celebrity. She wanted to be normal. Just a normal girl with a normal life who didn't lie and manipulate people to get what she wanted.

3) The reason she sat at gorilla instead of in the production truck outside was to have a more direct relationship to her product. While Stephanie sat in her office dictating things to her aides to relate to the athletes, Scarlett would chat with them while they waited to go on.

She knew almost all of the WWE personnel and they all liked her. She was the nice, compassionate youngest daughter of Vince and Linda and the complete and total opposite of their other daughter. She was a workhorse and took pride in it, but outside the arenas, she was down-to-earth, ready to go out for a beer and engage in some serious rounds of darts and pool. She knew some of the wrestlers better than others just because some had been around longer. Her best friend was Brie Danielson. She'd met the girl and her sister Nikki right after they came up from FCW in 2008 and they'd been almost inseparable since then. She and Nikki had been co-maids of honors at her wedding to Bryan just a week ago. It was a beautiful day filled with family, friends and happiness. Well...almost.

Her ex, Phil Brooks, had been there. He'd quit WWE back in January under mysterious circumstances. They weren't a mystery to her, however, but she'd finally gotten over him a few weeks back. She'd been moping over him and decided to go out and have herself a fling just to get it done with. Nothing cured a broken heart like good sex. And there was nobody better at meaningless sex than Nick Nemeth aka Dolph Ziggler. They were good friends and she knew if she could sleep with anyone and them not get hung up about it, it would be him. He was her date to Brie's wedding and he'd been an excellent distraction from Phil and his girlfriend, who had just happened to step in front of her.

"Hey Scarlett, how's it going?"

Scarlett looked up and took off her headset, leaving one ear on just in case someone needed her. Oh, she and April Mendez didn't get along and for one major reason. But Scarlett was, if anything, a professional and she wouldn't let the woman get a rise out of her.

"I'm fine, April. After you win, you need to stay in the ring and celebrate for a minute or two. We're going to commercial right after and we don't want the crowd getting too bored."

April's smile just grew. It was bugging the hell out of Scarlett.

"Will do. So, I saw you and Nick at the wedding. You two seemed awfully close."

"What Nick and I are or aren't is none of your business."

"Oh ok, I was just trying to make small talk."

"Well, I'm not very interested. Shouldn't you be focusing on your match?"

Seeing that she wasn't going to get her desired reaction, April turned away just as Nikki was stepping up as well. The girls discussed last-minute details and when they were done, Nikki turned to Scarlett.

"Hey girl, how you doing?"

Seeing one of her close friends made Scarlett smile. A nice distraction from the girl twirling her hair not five feet away.

"I'm great, always busy. I don't think I got a chance to tell you how pretty you looked at the wedding. You and John were very...close."

"Yeah, he's amazing! You looked absolutely gorgeous too. I'm so glad Brie just went simple and let us wear black. I saw you with Nick, just dancing the night away. Anything I should know about?"

Nikki's eyebrow rose and Scarlett simply smirked.

"We are just friends and that's all it ever will be. You know as well as I do that Nick is not ready to settle down."

Nikki smiled, thankful.

"Good! I love Nick to pieces but yeah, he's not what you need. Still way too much of a boy and you, my dear, need a man. A man who'll take you out and show you a good time and then take you somewhere else...if you know what I mean."

Scarlett felt like she should scold her friend, but couldn't and just let out a good chuckle. Only Brie knew about her one night with Nick and she'd been sworn to secrecy, especially from her twin sister. Nikki was an infamous gossip and if she knew who was sleeping with who, then the whole company knew about it. So, since she hadn't heard anything about who Scarlett was bedding, she assumed there was no one and that was not Nikki's style. If you broke up with someone, get back on the horse, preferably with someone who was even better than the last one.

"It'll happen, Nikki, don't worry. Just not rushing into anything. Now you need to go, it's almost time for your cue."

"Ok, chick, but you're still going out with us later, right? You can ride with us if you want."

"Nah, I gotta stick around for a few to wrap things up but I'll meet you after. Can't wait!"

 Nikki's music hit and she became a Bella. It was interesting to watch her go from the cool, sweet, fun girl to the outrageous, infuriating character she was on-screen. Scarlett just put her head back down and looked what was next on the schedule so she could send another PA out. Just as she was about to send someone after Randy Orton, Kane, and Dean Ambrose, April ran back and straight to Janie, a hair and makeup assistant who did last-minute touch-ups on the talent.

"Oh my god, I almost forgot to take this off. I couldn't forgive myself if it got damaged. Can you hold onto it until the end of the match?"

"Sure April, why's it so important?"

Scarlett's focus had come up because of all the ruckus and she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that was only confirmed when April turned to look at her, smiling brightly with a hint of nastiness in her eyes.

"It's my engagement ring. Phil gave it to me last week when he propose. We're getting married! Ok, gotta get to my match. Thanks Janie!"

Janie, to her credit, had the grace not to smile. She turned wide-eyed to Scarlett and said absolutely nothing. She'd been stationed at the gorilla for about three months so she and Scarlett had gotten to know each other quite well. She never asked about her and Phil's relationship, but had heard through the quite loud company grapevine that it had ended very badly. But nobody knew why. Everyone wanted to know, however. It was still a hot topic of conversation especially since Phil had left the company. Everyone knew better than to ask Scarlett and the only person to ask Stephanie had been fired a week later for showing up 15 minutes late, something that almost everyone did at one point or another.

Scarlett was stunned, but was trying to not let everyone see. How could this be happening? She and Phil had been together for three years and it had been great, but there had never been any talk of marriage and that was just fine with her. As long as they were happy, what did a piece of paper matter? Apparently, a lot. Three months after telling everyone they were dating, Phil and April were getting married. What the fuck? Phil, who'd always told her he would have to live with someone for at least a year beforehand, was getting married to...her. Her numbness gave way to a rage that she thought she'd gotten past. He knew that she and April still worked together and he couldn't have given her even the slightest heads up? Oh yeah, that's right, he'd have to have the balls to actually talk to her which he hadn't done since December. Fucking bastard.

Scarlett sat and stewed all through the girls' match. Just thinking of ways to get back at the two people who'd ruined her life. When she saw the match had ended, she'd settled on attacking April when she stepped back through the curtain. Just ripping her hair out and tearing her to pieces. When the woman finally did come back and got her ring, however, all the air deflated from Scarlett. What was the point? It would only give April, and probably Phil, the satisfaction of knowing she was still miserable after all this time. But she wasn't miserable, was she? Sure, maybe there was a part of her that would always be hurt, but she couldn't still be that sad and angry about it, right? Well, even if she maybe was, she wouldn't show it. She'd buck up and focus on the good things in her life: her friends, her job, hell, even her family who had shown her so much support back when the shit hit the fan. She let a small smile grace her features as she thought about it all and let a deep breath to calm herself down. There, see, back to good. But there was still the matter of April standing right in front of her.

"Hey Scar, I didn't mean to blurt that out, but now that I did, I just want you to know our deciding to get married had nothing to do with you."

Scarlett couldn't believe the gall of this girl. Because she'd never gotten a rise out of Scarlett, she just kept sinking to lower and lower levels of nasty. But no more, it was time for Scarlett to put this little slut in her place. Taking off her headset fully and handing it to Travis, she stood up to her full height of 5'9", a towering seven inches over her nemesis. Leaning slightly forward and hovering over the girl, she spoke in a crisp, even tone.

"April, I would hope that your engagement would have nothing to do with me. If it did, that would be pretty fucking pathetic and I'd only feel pity for you. Actually, that's what I feel for you now. Because you're stuck with a horrible man for a husband and I'm free as a bird with nothing but happy days in my future. Now, I know that you've been trying to get under my skin for months now and I've tolerated it because I'm a professional. But at this moment, I think you need to be reminded of something: I'm a McMahon. Everyone knows that I hate to use my name for anything, but right now, it's necessary. Because you seem to think you're untouchable, but just remember sweetheart, I'm a McMahon and you are just talent and talent can be replaced. Am I clear?"

April's eyes widened slightly and she shrank even further down. Simply nodding her head, she wisely didn't say a word.

"Good. Now, you're not on the schedule for the rest of the night or weekend so I suggest you go take a shower, wash the stink off yourself and get home to that fiance of yours. Wouldn't want someone to swoop in and steal him away, now would you?"

Leaning back up and taking her headset back, she sat down calmly and just stared at April, dismissing her. The girl whisked away and Scarlett picked her script back up and looked around, a bright smile on her face.

"Alright, back to it. Where were we?"

Travis answered smartly, "The match between Kane/Orton and the Shield."

"Gotcha."

Looking at Glen and Randy, who'd just walked up, she smirked, "You guys all good?"

"Yep."

"Awesome! Just make sure to get out of the ring in good time after the cameras go off, I'll have Mike signal to you guys. We gotta set up for Christian's show after."

Glen smiled, "Sure thing, Little Star."

Glen Jacobs was one of the nicest guys in the company. He'd known Scarlett since she was 10 and he scared the living daylights out of her when she'd accidentally bumped into him while running around backstage. Imagine being a four-foot tall skinny little girl and having to stare up at a seven-foot hulk of a man. Terrifying! But he'd bent down to her level, calmed her down and introduced himself in the kindest way. He'd even walked her back to Vince and Linda's office where she got a proper scolding for making a nuisance out of herself. Glen had simply said she wasn't a bother and went on her way. 18 years later, she still remembered that day and how nice he'd always been since then. Back in December, during the dark days after her breakup, Glen had seen her sitting in gorilla all alone, in tears, just wallowing in her misery. He'd come up, sat beside her, and handed her a Christmas present, even though it was still a week away. He'd gotten her a necklace with a little star on it- a reference to his nickname for her- and had enveloped her in a ginormous hug, just letting her get it all out and never asking what had happened. It was then that she knew she'd get through the worst of it if she just leaned on her friends and family for support.

As the boys went through the curtain for their match, Scarlett was by herself again or so she thought. It was just then that Amanda, another PA, ran up, saying Dean Ambrose would be there in just a minute. He was set to interfere on behalf of his Shieldmates, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns. Asking why it took so long to find him, Amanda smirked and said he was out back smoking and that had been the last place Amanda had looked.

Scarlett rolled her eyes and just shook her head, telling Amanda that from now on, it was probably the first place she should go. Sure, she and a lot of others smoked too but during showtime, it was a no-no. Everyone had to be inside the building or better at hiding if they needed to go out. Just as she was looking back down, the man in question strided up.

"Hey Jon."

"Hey Scarlett," he said, a sly grin gracing his features, "Sorry she couldn't find me. I thought I had more time."

"Well, just be glad she did find you and you didn't miss your cue. Stephanie and Paul would've had your ass for being outside and then they would've had mine for the show being messed up. Don't let it happen again, ok?"

He gave her a lazy mock salute, "Yes, ma'am."

Another eye roll and head shake came from her, but this time it was accompanied by a light laugh.

"You're so childish."

Jon's grin never faded, "I know, but I think you like that about me. Hey, what are you doing later? Wanna go out for a drink with me?"

Her head whipped around from the paper in front of her.

"Uh...what...Jon, are you...are you asking me on a date?"

He sidled right up next to her and propped himself up on the case she was sitting on. Giving her a side glance and a devilish smirk, he dipped his head a little so he was staring her in the eye.

"Well, no, cause the boys," he pointed to the screen indicating Rollins and Reigns, "Are coming too. As are some of the girls. Some karaoke bar named Santa's. Thought you could join us and it'd be a good time. But if you wanted to go on a date with me, all you'd have to do is say so. Don't think I could turn you down."

She stared into his orbs of blue, crystalline in nature, and almost got a little lost. Fortunately, the music guys came into her ear, asking which music they were using for another divas match later on. She came out of her trance, slightly flustered, and swiftly answered them. Recovering herself and looking back at Jon slowly, she quirked a smile.

"I was already going to be there actually. Nikki invited me yesterday when she planned it."

Jon stood back up, his shoulders resuming their natural hunch, "Well, that's a damn shame. Thought for a second you could get me out of going to a damn karaoke bar."

"Oh no, Mr. Good, I never turn down awesome karaoke, not even for a free meal and drinks."

He let out a loud guffaw, "Who said I was paying? You're asking me, remember? The asker pays, not the asked."

"Oh but you're a gentleman. Surely, you wouldn't accept a lady paying your way."

He stepped in front of her and placed both hands on either side of her hips, boxing her in. Leaning forward slightly, the same way she had done to April, he kept going til his mouth was right next to her ear.

"Oh darlin, I am most certainly not a gentleman and if you want to see why, again all you'd have to do is ask. Now, I gotta go. Time for me to go kick some ass."

Leaning up and kissing her cheek, he turned and walked through the curtain, leaving her flabbergasted and wondering how he knew it was the perfect time for him to run out. She watched him on the monitor, watching him transform into the demented lunatic that people loved. There was a heat in her body that hadn't been there before he walked up and she knew exactly what had caused it. The gentle caress of his words was in heavy juxtaposition to the wild man who caused chaos and destruction every week in the ring. She watched his body and knew that if Nikki had just seen their exchange, she'd be encouraging her friend to "get on it," a favorite phrase of hers. Thinking of her friend, Scarlett smiled and was grateful she'd set up this little night out for everyone. It'd be an interesting one, especially with the now guaranteed bit of sexual tension sure to be present between her and Jon. She smiled in anticipation and shook her head at her silliness. He was just a man, after all.

_A hot, sexy specimen of a man._

She laughed at her subconscious and went on with the show, effectively forgetting for a few hours about what lay before her later on.

*********khaan*********

Alright, that's chapter one in the books. I'll be posting regularly since this entire story's already been written. I hope you guys enjoy.


	2. Hell on Heels

Are y'all ready for some sweet karaoke?

*********khaan*********

_I'm hell on heels. Baby, I'm coming for you.  
-_ The Pistol Annies, Hell on Heels

_April 18th, 2014- Nashville, TN_

Scarlett stopped as soon as she exited the arena later that night. God, she needed a cigarette. Pulling out a menthol and lighting it quickly, she took a huge drag before sharply turning when she heard someone chuckling behind her.

"If you smoke them that fast, kinda takes the enjoyment out of the whole process."

Scarlett exhaled the smoke and quirked her lips into a smile, "Oh, are you going to teach me how to properly smoke, Jon?"

The man who most people called a lunatic simply smiled at her and walked to her side.

"Nah," he paused, "Could show you plenty of other things though."

She blew out her next drag in a huff of laughter.

"Yeah, I'm sure you could. Hey, aren't you supposed to be at the bar with the others already? Or are you still trying to get out of it?"

"Nah, figured I'd go and get a kick out of everybody making fools of themselves. Colby especially. That boy is always embarrassing himself."

She couldn't help but agree. Anytime she and some of the others went out for karaoke, Colby was always there. He loved it almost as much as she did.

"So, why aren't you there?"

"Told Nikki I'd stay and make sure you got there safe and sound," he replied, a devilish grin on his face. She was sure that if she wanted to, he'd agree to go wherever and do whatever she wanted him to.

"See, there you go again...being a gentleman."

He finished his cigarette and stepped in front of her, pulling her own cigarette from her mouth and taking the last hit off it, smirking at her the entire time. She was slightly pissed off...and incredibly turned on. When had that happened? Before tonight, she'd never given him a second thought. Sure, he was hot and all, but when she thought of all the guys in the company, he wasn't at the top of any of her lists. But right now, hell, she didn't know if she could control herself. There was an air about him that she didn't know how to describe, but if she was pushed for a word, then it was...dangerous. The man in front of her felt all kinds of dangerous, but in the best way possible. When he finished stamping the cigarette out with his boot, he stepped up to her, gently pushing her back until she hit the concrete wall with a suddenness that scared her slightly. He brought his hands to her hips and pulled them flush against his, forcing her chest into his as well. Their faces were just millimeters apart, their noses practically touching. His eyes had captured hers and she couldn't have forced herself to look away if she wanted to. His whispered words felt like silk wrapping themselves around her.

"How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not a gentleman?"

He leaned in and just as their lips made contact, the door to the garage slammed open. A couple of the music techs were wheeling equipment out to the trucks. Scarlett jumped out of Jon's grasp as they looked over to her and nodded their hellos. She nodded back and wished them a good night. Feeling an arm come around her shoulders, she looked to see Jon staring at her, grin ever-present.

"Whew, that was a close one."

She rolled her eyes and sighed loudly.

"Come on, let's just go. You're incorrigible."

"What's that mean?"

"Means that I'm going to pretend it didn't happen and just get on with it cause if I got all flustered, you'd enjoy it way too much."

Jon stopped and seemed to think this over, "Yep, you're probably right."

Scarlett laughed at his expression, "Come on, we need to join the others. Can't wait for your night of misery to begin."

"Ahh, you just had to remind me where we're going, didn't you?"

"You betcha. It's going to be great to watch you all night."

"Oh, so you're going to be looking at me the whole time? We could just skip the bar and go back to the hotel then."

_Open mouth, insert foot,_ Scarlett thought.

"Let's just go, weirdo."

When they arrived at Santa's Pub, the bar was in full swing with Colby and Layla wailing that old-time karaoke standard, Bennie and the Jets. Jon's eyes immediately went sky high, his stress level rising. Walking over to the large table where their coworkers sat, they took the two seats that had been saved for them. They were conveniently wedged right next to each other. Scarlett discovered that if the two of them wanted to sit comfortably, his arm had to be around the back of her chair and she had to lean into him slightly. He thought all of this was hilarious, of course.  Nikki bought them some beer which Jon protested slightly. Nikki hushed him quickly.

"Jon, all the beer here is $2 so don't think I'm spending a fortune!"

"Really? Only $2?"

"Yep, now drink in the cheapness and have a good time."

They settled in just as Rosa and Eva got up to do "The Boy is Mine" by Brandy and Monica. Scarlett was having a good time singing along and Jon really took the time to look at her. Sure, he'd never hit on her the way he had tonight. To be honest, he was just having some fun and trying to liven her up a bit. He'd had a crush on her ever since he'd entered the WWE but she'd been with Punk until just a few months ago. Every show he'd hope that there'd be some reason he'd have to go through gorilla just so he could talk to her for a bit. She was gorgeous with big green eyes and luscious brown hair. Now that he was really looking, he could tell that there was an auburn hue to it but only under a direct, hard light. Her pale skin was flawless and he knew she didn't have that much makeup on. When he'd heard about her and Punk breaking up, he had wanted to ask her on a date right then and there, but when he had walked up to gorilla to do it, he saw her wrapped in Glen's arms, crying her soul out. Not wanting to be a dick, he'd snuck away as quietly as possible but had kept an eye on her as the weeks and months passed. He had seen the transformation from the insecure, weeping girl back to the strong, confident, laughing woman she used to be.

Sometimes though, he felt she was just putting on a front. If he watched her closely enough- he didn't care if anyone thought it was weird- he'd see the fragility that was still there. He wanted to be the one to fully restore her confidence. He wanted her to see that she had nothing to be ashamed of. He wanted her to see how he saw her: a smart, beautiful woman who deserved the best. And only the best. That's why when he had heard and her and April's little spat, he'd decided to start working his way in. He didn't care how long it took. He'd make her his and show her how a man was really supposed to treat a woman: like a queen.

Her name was called and she got up and brought the house down with Roxanne by the Police. She could sing, he had to give her that. Her eyes would sometimes flicker to his and she'd let out a small smile that he knew was meant for him and him only. Maybe she was slowly letting her guard down. Maybe she was enjoying his "misery," even though while she was up there, he wasn't miserable at all. Whatever it was, he didn't care.

When she came back to loud applause, he let her sit back down and put his arm back around her chair. After she'd taken a long sip of her beer and finished it, he brought his hand to her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"You were great up there."

Her eyes found his and she whispered her thanks. She didn't shrug off his hand, just letting it rest there comfortably. When Colby got up to get more beer, Jon handed him a ten, saying to get ones for him, Scarlett and Nikki. When the younger boy brought them back, Jon handed one to Scarlett and she smirked again, whispering in his ear.

"Gentleman."

He rolled his eyes and looked directly at her, giving her an amused look. When her eyes shifted behind him and got wide, he turned around to see what had caught her attention. What he saw was not good. April walked in along with Saraya and Vicky- Paige and Alicia Fox to the WWE Universe- and they sneered their way through the joint. When they stopped in front of Nikki, she wasn't having any of it.

"Sorry guys, but we only got enough seats for us. Ya know, the people who were invited. But uh...there's some standing room way over there."

She pointed to the very back of the bar where you couldn't see anything except a lonely dart board that nobody ever used. When they walked away, Scarlett leaned forward and gave her friend a hug, whispering something that Jon could not hear. When she sat back down, his hand came back to her shoulder and she looked at him, smiling quickly and nodding, letting him know that she was ok. Just then, she and Nikki were called to the stage and he had a feeling he was in for a show. When the words Hell on Heels came on the screen, he smiled. He knew this song because Colby loved it and would turn it up if it ever came on in the car. Hell, even Joe, who the world knew as the hulking, ferocious Roman Reigns, loved that song and would sing along. Jon would usually sit in the back seat and laugh his ass off at the two grown men in front of him. He wasn't laughing now, however, as the two gorgeous women in stilettos joined their voices to create one of the sexiest harmonies he had ever heard. They were amazing. So amazing that he even joined in on the clapping part, which he never, ever did. When they got to the last chorus, Scarlett's eyes trained on him for the last two lines and he felt himself harden.

_I'm hell on heels.  
_ _Sugar daddy, I'm coming for you._

They finished to raucous applause from the packed double-wide and the girls sauntered back over to the table, basking in the adoration. They both had wide smiles as they picked up their beers, clinked them and took long swigs. With Joe going up to get more beer, Scarlett tried to give him money to get more for everybody but he just waved her off. Jon noticed she was a little wobbly, but didn't think anything of it. This was the most fun he'd seen her have in a long time and he wasn't going to ruin it.

"Will no one let me buy them alcohol?"

Going to sit back down, she ended up in Jon's lap instead of her seat. His hands immediately went to her hips and adjusted her so she wasn't sitting directly on his strained erection, but he didn't make any movement to remover her. She turned, putting her hand on the base of his neck and rubbing softly. He knew it had to be the alcohol since she'd slammed down at least four or five beers already, but he just didn't care in the slightest at the moment.

"Jon, why won't anybody let me buy them beer?"

He looked at her with a wide smile, amused by her hopelessness. Leaning up, he whispered in her ear.

"Just enjoy it, darlin. There'll always be a next time."

She hummed contentedly, "Okay."

She didn't move from his lap and he didn't mind. He noticed Colby looking at him with raised eyebrows at one point and then Nikki did the same. He shrugged his shoulders in reply and neither said a word. Nikki had a small smile on her lips that he didn't want to know the reason behind.

Scarlett said something about being tired an hour later, but wanted to stick around to do her last song. When he asked what it was, she just shook her head and said it was surprise. Her name was finally called and she walked up, a little giddy about whatever she was doing. On the way, she passed an elderly man, who had to be at least 70, wearing a Stetson. She leaned down, whispering in his ear, and after a really sweet smile, he handed over his hat to her. Plopping it on her head and adjusting just so, she stood on the stage, head down but you could see the excitement coursing through her. Jon looked to the screen, buzzing to see the name of the song.

_Man, I Feel Like a Woman_

Nikki and Colby couldn't have been more excited. The Bella twin turned around and looked at everyone else, glee on her face.

"Oh man, are you guys ready for this? You ain't ready!"

When the opening twangs hit the speakers, she stayed still, popping her head up at the very last second.

_Let's go girls!_

The entire song he saw a completely different Scarlett. This was what he had meant about her putting on a front for the last couple of months. When she was at work, sure, she acted like she was fine, but there was something lacking. This girl, however, was the one he wanted to be with. She was twirling her hips, playing to the crowd and working that stage for everything it was worth. By the time she got to the last chorus, she had the whole crowd singing along and watching her with rapt attention.

_The best thing about being a woman_   
_Is the prerogative to have a little fun!_  
_Oh, oh, oh, go totally crazy, forget I'm a lady_   
_Men's shirts, short skirts_   
_Oh, oh, oh, really go wild, yeah, doin' it in style_   
_Oh, oh, oh, get in the action, feel the attraction_   
_Color my hair, do what I dare_   
_Oh, oh, oh, I wanna be free, yeah, to feel the way I feel_   
_Man! I feel like a woman!_  
_I get totally crazy_   
_Can you feel it?_   
_Come, come, come on baby_   
_I feel like a woman!_

When she finished, the room went absolutely nuts. She went back over to the elderly guy, did a cute little bow and handed him back his hat, thanking him with the biggest smile on her face. Coming back over, she sat back down on his lap, chugging the rest of her beer. When she peered down at him, grinning like a fool, he couldn't help himself. Grabbing the side of her face, he gently brought her down until his lips met hers. It wasn't hard or wild or even desperate, but instead sweet and slow and definitely returned. When she pulled back after a few moments, he could see the war in her eyes, lust and weariness. Leaning down to his ear, she spoke so only he could hear.

"Could you take me to the hotel and stay with me, but us not have sex?"

He internally grinned at her question. He knew she was no innocent but he also knew she was going to have a hard time trusting anything any man said to her. She felt an attraction to him but didn't want to jump into anything prematurely, especially when her head was swimming with alcohol. He nodded and they got up, ignoring Joe and Colby's pleas to stay and keep the party going. Jon leaned over to Nikki, telling her he was driving Scarlett home. Nikki smirked in her own devilish way.

"Be good!"

Now it was Jon's turn to smirk.

"Always am. That's my last name, after all."

Just as he was turning away, he felt her small hand grab his wrist and pull him back.

"I'm serious, Jon. Be good to her."

His smirk dropped instantly.

"I will, Nik. I promise."

The twin released him with a smile and stood up to hug her friend, telling her she'd call in the morning. He and Scarlett walked out into the crisp night air and he gave her his leather jacket to keep her warm. She pulled it around her with a small thank you. When they arrived back at the hotel, he got her back to her room first, giving her aspirin and telling her to change into her sleep clothes. Going back to his room to get his clothes for the next day and some more aspirin, he got back to her room in record time. Just not fast enough. When he slipped back in, he was pleased to see she was indeed changed, but only into an oversized t-shirt that barely covered her ass. She was laying down facing the back wall and as he walked up, sure enough, she was fast asleep. He contemplated just turning around and going back to his room, but she had asked him to stay and it wasn't like he was an asshole who would try something while she was asleep. So he changed quickly and flipped the covers back, tucking her in. He got in on the other side and then a real dilemma hit him. Did he keep his distance or did he hold her?

Oh, who was he kidding?

He got to the middle of the bed and pulled her back flush against him. He slid one arm under her head and the other around her stomach, pausing for a moment to take a deep breath next to her hair. Even though she'd been in a smoky bar all night, she still smelled like vanilla and peaches. Damn, he could get used to this. Especially when she shifted even further into him, one hand resting on his forearm and the other entwining her fingers with his. He was really glad he hadn't kept his distance now.

After all, he couldn't be a gentleman all the time.

*********khaan*********

Thanks for reading everyone.


	3. Wicked Game

Thanks to everyone for the kudos and comments!

*********khaan*********

_What a wicked thing to do...to make me dream of you.  
-_ Chris Issak, Wicked Game

_April 21st, 2014- Baltimore, Maryland_

Scarlett was rushing around getting ready for Raw. It was 45 minutes to showtime and she still didn't have a script for the show. Running to Stephanie's office, she knocked twice and let herself in. Her sister looked up in annoyance at being interrupted from an email she was responding to.

"Yes?"

"Steph, are you guys done with the script yet? Don't have one and it's getting close to curtain."

Stephanie rolled her eyes- a trait the sisters shared- and gave Scarlett hers, which was sitting on the desk.

"Here. Why didn't you have one of your assistants go get one? That is what they're there for."

"You know me. I like to do things myself. Anything major I should know about?"

"Um, about the show, no. Just the normal stuff. I do have to tell you something else though."

"Yes?"

"You might want to sit."

Scarlett smirked and did as her sister asked, "Oh fuck me, what's going on?"

"Phil called dad and requested a meeting next week. Since mom and dad were flying in for Raw anyway, dad said ok so Phil's going to be here."

Stephanie hunched further and further back into her seat, expecting Scarlett to blow up at any second. But to her sister's credit, she simply stared straight ahead, no emotion whatsoever on her face. Scarlett took a very deep breath and looked back at her sister.

"Do you know what the meeting's about?"

"I can only assume he might want back in."

"Are you guys going to let him?"

"Well, I would hope dad would let you decide that, but he can't just ignore the man. When he was here, Phil was one of our most popular guys for years and his merchandise sales were on par with Cena. And you hear the crowd chanting for him every week. When he quit, that threw a serious kink into our plans."

Scarlett let out a bitter laugh, "And you guys need him back. Is that what you're telling me?"

"No, we don't need him but it would make a lot of the fans happy. You've heard the rumors. A lot of people are saying it was us who pushed him out and he hasn't denied it so most everybody thinks it's true."

"So, either I let him back in and be around the jerk who broke my heart all the time or I say no and let all our fans down. Great..."

"I'm sorry, sis, but when all that ugliness went down a few months ago, it started a snowball effect and it's gotten us to here. If that's what this meeting with him is about, it's going to be all on you and I hate to say this, but dad is probably going to want you to get over the anger and deal with it."

Scarlett smirked and was silent for a few minutes. Stephanie would've let her sister sit there but it was close to showtime.

"Scar, you need to be getting back."

It shook Scarlett out of her thoughts and she simply nodded. Getting up to leave, she paused right before opening the door. Not looking directly at Stephanie, just turning her head slightly, she whispered.

"You heard about him and April, right?"

Stephanie grimaced. She'd heard all about it when April came and asked for a week off sometime in June. She'd also got wind of her sister's little argument with the Diva on friday.

"Yeah. Sorry about that, sis."

Scarlett gripped the handle and opened the door.

"Yeah, me too."

Making her back to gorilla, Scarlett was so lost in her thoughts that she'd completely forgotten to grab the script off Stephanie's desk where she'd laid it down. Thankfully, Travis ran up with one from creative so Scarlett didn't have to go all the way back. Gathering the PAs around for a pre-show chat, she ran down who would be running errands, gathering superstars and who would be her other set of ears on the spare headset. Just as she was about to send Travis running off to give her brother-in-law and sister their 10-minute warning, she stopped talking suddenly. She finally noticed that her people were giving her weird looks and shuffling uncomfortably.

"What? Is there something on my face?"

Amanda spoke up softly, "No, but you just seem really mad. Did we do something?"

Scarlett paused and took a deep breath. Stephanie's news had obviously bothered her a little more than she thought and she was taking it out on them, which wasn't fair.

"Sorry guys, just a little stressed. Bear with me tonight, please, and I'll apologize in advance cause I might be a little snappy. But it has nothing to do with you. You guys are wonderful and I couldn't do my job without you."

Their smiles showed her that they were okay and so she quickly delegated all the items for the opening and propped herself up on her case, ready to get on with the show. Surely, it would push everything else out of her mind.

It worked for the first hour or so. Stephanie and Paul did their bit to perfection, announcing matches for later that night. Scarlett was so busy talking to the music guys and prepping the athletes that she didn't really focus on anything until she gave the cue for The Shield's music and heard it radiate through the building.

_Sierra. Hotel. India. Echo. Lima. Delta. SHIELD._

Flicking her eyes up to the screen, she saw the camera focus on the three men coming down the steps in the crowd. Colby led the way with Joe not far behind. She smiled at the intimidating looks they gave to the crowd. If anyone knew that only three days ago, Colby was singing Brick House and then the whole gang had gotten up at the end of the night and done Friends in Low Places. This was after she had left with Jon but there was video. They'd even dragged Joe, who never sang, up on stage and he looked like he was having the time of his life with the mic right in front of his face. Scarlett knew that he'd most likely had a lot more alcohol than he usually drank. He must've been wasted, in fact, to get a man so shy on a karaoke stage. She almost wished she hadn't gotten so drunk so she and Jon could've stayed and seen it with their own eyes.

Speaking of, she watched the blonde man bring up the rear and she felt a blush creep up her neck. When she'd woken up the next morning, she'd been alone but on the nightstand, there was a note propped against a glass of water and an aspirin bottle.

_Good morning darlin,_

_Have to get in the car to go to the next city. Was gonna wake you, but you looked so peaceful and beautiful so I set your alarm so you won't wake up too late. I had a damn good time last night and, just in case your memory's a little foggy, nothing happened. But I'll let you in on a little secret: I wanted you. So damn bad. But I was a good boy. NOT A GENTLEMAN! Gentlemen don't have the thoughts that I did last night and this morning. Anyways, I'll see you on monday, but just know, I'll be thinking about you all weekend._

_Jon_

_PS If you can open your eyes and not throw up, take two. If you do hurl, might wanna make it three or four._

She smirked thinking about the note, which was still tucked into her bag in the girls' locker room. Still staring at the screen, she felt a slight tingling in between her legs. Good lord, she thought, laughing internally, this boy was creeping under her skin. Not that she didn't like it. He was fun and made her smile. He didn't know this, and didn't need to know, but she'd woken up slightly when he'd gotten into bed with her. She'd felt his arms wrap around her and, for the first time in a very, very long while, she'd felt secure and safe. When she'd woken up and he hadn't been there, she'd sworn at first that it was all a dream. Until she saw the note.

When she saw their match ending and they were making their way toward her, a nervousness overcame her and she busied herself looking over the next part of the script, even though she already knew it by heart. Joe and Colby came through first, saying hello. She looked at them with a smile, asking about their weekends. The house shows had gone off without a hitch, they said, and she told them how much fun she'd had at karaoke. When she told Joe she was impressed by his singing ability, a blush came over the big Samoan.

"Man, I was so drunk."

She laughed, "Yeah, that's what I thought, but you did great. We'll have to get you up there again eventually."

His eyes widened and Colby laughed, saying they'd probably have to blackmail him with something.

"Well, I'm never going to have to do that with you, right, Brick House?"

The smile dropped from his face and he was just about to protest when she held up her hands.

"Sorry, just one of my favorite things about that night. You sure were shakin' it!"

"What can I say? I shake what my mama gave me," Colby said, sending all three of them into fits of laughter. They said their goodbyes and she shook her head, chuckling slightly.

"What were your other favorite things about that night?"

Her head whipped around to see the man who invaded her thoughts all weekend standing there, just watching her.

_Calm down, Scarlett, you are a grown-ass woman. You've flirted before._

"Oh, I don't know...there might have been some other things."

He came up to her side, leaning with one elbow on the case so they were more eye-level. He could see the nervousness in her eyes but the rest of her face was composed, a sly grin curling her mouth. Did he continue their game or calm her nerves? He sighed as he chose the latter.

"Did you feel okay the next morning?"

She smiled genuinely then, "Yes, thanks for taking care of me. And for you info, only had to take two."

A smile overtook his face as well and her heart swelled a little. When he wasn't keeping up his front as a cocky, lunatic SOB, he looked so boyish and cute. She wanted to pull him a little closer and run her fingers through his hair. She didn't of course- they were at work and that was way too intimate- but her hands itched at the thought. His eyes, those blue orbs that she could just fall into, were smiling as well and he just looked...happy. She didn't know if she was to blame for that, but it was a nice thought. His voice snapped her attention back.

"Well good, don't like to think of you retching into a toilet. Even though, now that I just said that..."

"Yeah, good job. That mental image will stick with you forever."

"Whatever," he looked at her, "Did you have a good weekend off?"

"Yeah, just a real lazy time at my house. Cleaned a bit, but mostly vegged out and watched tv."

"Where do you live again?"

"Well, I was in Chicago for a while...um, but I've been back in Connecticut for a few months. Just wanted to be a little closer to home and the family. Spend more time with my parents and Stephanie's girls."

He noticed her slight pause and cursed Phil Brooks in his head. It was obvious that, with the exception of her job where there were enough problems still, Scarlett had changed her entire life after their breakup. She'd probably had a great life in Chicago, with tons of friends and favorite hangouts and a level of supreme comfort. Damn that bastard. Jon would punch him in the face the next time he saw him, if he ever did.

"You planning on staying there?"

She smiled at his genuine interest in her, "Probably not. I love going home but it's not really where I belong. A little too clean-cut for me."

"Aw, polo shirts and pressed slacks not a part of your wardrobe anymore?"

She swatted him in the stomach lightly, chuckling at his jab about her hometown.

"Kinda. I can still fit in, but people see the tattoos and kinda turn up their noses a little. Until they find out who I am, of course."

"Oh yeah, I'm sure the McMahon name gets you far."

"If you enjoy that sort of thing, yeah."

"Which if I had to take a good look at you..."

 And he did, unabashedly eyeing her from head to toe and back up again, stopping when he got to her breasts. She was giggling slightly making her chest shake a bit and he just couldn't help himself. Only when she tipped his head back up with her finger did he smile apologetically.

"I'd say you probably belong somewhere else. You know what? I know the perfect place. Vegas!"

Her eyes widened and her smirk just got bigger. Putting the finger that had just been on his chin on hers instead, she pretended to think real hard.

"Hmm, let me guess...that's where you live?"

He shrugged, "Maybe."

She giggled, "I think it'd be a very bad idea to live near you."

"And why is that?"

She leaned down to whisper in his ear, "Because you're dangerous."

She went to lean back but his hand grabbed the back of her neck and held her in place, his mouth very close to her ear so only she could hear his words.

"Glad you're finally realizing that, sweetheart. But just remember, you're on the road with me for over 250 days per year so really, how could you living in Vegas make it anymore dangerous? Afraid you'd be under me and writhing in pleasure sooner rather than later?"

She couldn't lie. She was so unbelievably turned on that when he stood up and walked away, she was stuck in the same position for a good 30 seconds. Janie was finishing up a little makeup on one of the Divas and cleared her throat loudly to shake Scarlett out of her thoughts. The youngest McMahon's eyes flicked to hers and Janie just smiled and did a fanning motion on herself. Walking over and taking Jon's spot next to the case, she spoke to the bewildered girl.

"I couldn't even hear what he was saying at the end, but damn girl, your face says it all. There is some serious heat going on here! So when do you plan to jump him?"

Scarlett rolled her eyes and picked her script back up, "Oh, I'm not going to. Jon just likes to push my buttons is all."

"Girl, he'd like to push some buttons alright and I think you should let him."

"Janie!"

"What? Come on, Scarlett, you need to get back in the swing of things. If what you said to April the other day is at all true, then you're over Phil and you need someone new. I'm not saying you have to fall back into a full-fledge relationship, but find someone who's not awful and just go on some dates. Have some fun! And Jon is not a bad guy. Sure, he's a little off but you like them that way. I'd bet on it. You just said that clean-cut is not for you and I don't think you just meant clothing. You like your men with a little dirt on them."

Scarlett had to smile at her frank and rather truthful assessment.

"Janie, have I told you that I really like having you up here? If they ever try to replace you, I'm putting a stop to it immediately. Unless they're promoting you, of course. And then I'll just be sad."

The girls laughed together and went back to work, Scarlett seriously contemplating her friend's words.

A little while later, Raw was done and everything had gone to perfection. Scarlett exited the building and immediately pulled out a celebratory menthol. Lighting up and walking to her car, she stopped and rolled her eyes when she saw who was leaning against her car. He just couldn't get enough. As she resumed her slow and steady pace, she took him in fully. He was wearing black jeans with rips in the knees that she was pretty sure were the responsibility of the man and not the manufacturer. His black wife-beater was stretched tight over his defined muscles and his customary leather jacket completed the look perfectly. Yep, she thought, sinfully dangerous. Gotta keep your head straight, Scar. He smirked down at her as she came to a stop in front of him.

"Can I help you, Mr. Good?"

"Well, yes Miss McMahon, you certainly can. You see, I seem to have run out of cigarettes and the only other person who seems to smoke menthols in the entire company is you."

"So...you've been out here for god knows how long, looking like a creeper, because you wanted to bum a cig?"

His eyes were so full of mischief, "Yes."

_Oh, he wanted to play that game, did he?_

"And it didn't have anything to do with me? I'm sure somebody else has menthols."

"Not anybody I know."

She pulled her pack back out and gave him one. She was pulling her lighter out as well when he wiggled his between his fingers, smirking at her. She took the last pull of her own and stamped it out.

"Well, if that's all you needed, I'm gonna go. You know where your car's at, right?"

"Actually, Joe and Colby already took it to go back to the hotel."

"Oh well," she met his eyes with a mock grimace, "Better call a cab then."

Stepping around to the driver's side, she got in while he grinned at her, chuckling softly.

_Yeah babe,_ she thought, _I can play too._

 He gave her a mock salute when she started the car and pulled slowly out. Looking back in the side mirror, she could see him still laughing and shaking his head, probably wondering how the girl had gotten one over on him. He looked like a cute little puppy and she just couldn't help it. Stopping the car after about 20 feet, she hopped out and leaned against the open door.

"Hey!"

He spun around and a smile lit up his face, making it boyish again.

"You wanna go get a drink? I know a little dive bar close to here."

"Scarlett, you asking me out on a date?"

"Sure, as long as you know you're not getting laid at the end of it."

He burst out laughing and ran up as she unlocked the passenger side of her rental SUV.

"This should be fun!"

*********khan*********

Thanks for reading guys! Next up asap!


	4. The First Day of My Life

Thanks everyone who is reading this. I really appreciate it.

*********khan*********

_Yours is the first face that I saw._  
_I think I was blind before I met you._  
_Now I don’t know where I am._  
_I don’t know where I’ve been_  
_But I know where I want to go.  
-_ Bright Eyes, The First Day of My Life

_April 21st, 2014- Baltimore, Maryland_

They made their way from the arena in high spirits. Scarlett had one of her favorite Linda Ronstadt albums in and was crooning softly. Jon was happy to listen. When they pulled up to the bar, he had to laugh at the ironic name: Bad Decisions. Her lips quirked as well.

"Appropriate, right?"

He laughed back at her, "Oh yeah."

They walked in to the sounds of Hank Williams Jr. on the speakers and stopped at the bar to get their drinks. The barkeep quickly got his beer and her whiskey ginger. Scarlett pulled out her card to start a tab but was quickly swatted away when Jon pulled out a ten and gave it to the man. Scarlett couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

"I thought the askee paid, not the asked."

Jon just grabbed her arm and pulled her to him, slinging his arm over her shoulders.

"A lady never pays my way."

"But if I'm a lady, then that means you're a..."

His mouth descended onto hers. He couldn't let her finish that sentence, couldn't hear that word one more time. He kissed her with a passion so that she'd forget her trail of thought. After the momentary shock wore off, he felt her apply pressure to his own lips. Why? He didn't care. Not wanting to push things too far, however, he pulled back and slowly opened his eyes as did she. He could barely hear her whispered words over the rowdy music.

"Why'd you do that?"

"Cause I wanted to, darlin. Told you I had bad thoughts."

The blush that rose on her cheeks almost made him whoop in delight. Pulling her along with him, he directed her to a table in the back and they sat, Scarlett making sure to be directly across from him. If she couldn't control her reactions, then she needed as much distance as possible. He's dangerous, she reminded herself.

"Scarlett...Scarlett...oh, Scarlett..."

"Huh?" She shook herself out of her thoughts, smiling lightly at him, "Sorry, was in my head."

"You find me that boring?"

His puppy eyes got her, "Aw, absolutely not, Jon. I'm really sorry. I'm not really good at dates, I guess."

"Then why are you here?"

She tilted her head and seriously considered his question.

"I don't know. Everyone keeps telling me that I need to be happy and get back out there, ya know, in the dating pool."

Jon stood up and came around to her side, sitting down right next to her on the bench seat. Well, she thought, so much for distance. But he didn't touch her. He leaned back and propped his feet up on his abandoned chair.

"So, what do you want to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"It sounds like you're here with me cause everyone else wants you to be, but what do you want? Do you want to date? Do you not? And if you don't, then why does it matter what anybody else thinks?"

"I...uh...it doesn't matter, I guess. I know everybody's been watching me these past months like I'm gonna break. Everyone- Brie, Nikki, Glenn, my family, Nick, my PAs- everyone's been taking care of me and I just want to make them happy. I want them to not worry about me."

Jon took her hand, caressing it softly with his thumb, "Darlin, they care about you so they're gonna worry. You went through something awful."

Her head leaned until it was resting on his shoulder, "You don't actually know what happened."

"No, but I do know you're not the same person you were six months ago. I saw you then and you were...happy."

"Hey, I'm happy now!"

Jon raised his hand to the barkeep, indicating he wanted another round. Once their new drinks were in front of them, he continued.

"You may be happy, but you're not the same girl. The other night at karaoke, that girl...that's who you were last year. Everytime I'd walk to or even pass gorilla, I just remember always hearing peals of laughter. You'd be talking to one of the girls or one of your runners and I'd see you and your head would be thrown back laughing. It was wonderful."

She smiled and kissed his leather-clad shoulder.

"Tell me more."

"About?"

"The girl I used to be."

He looked down at her and she up at him. She had a desperate hopelessness about her and he had almost a frantic need to wash that away.

"I'm gonna tell you a story."

"Ok," she snuggled in a little closer and finished off her drink, nodding at the bartender when he looked her way.

"Does it have a happy ending?"

He squeezed her hand, "Don't know yet."

A little smile crept onto her face, "So, what's this story about?"

"The first time I ever saw you."

"Jon..."

"Just listen, ok?"

She took a deep breath, afraid of what she was going to hear, "Alright."

"Scarlett, the first time I ever saw you, I was sitting in catering. It was Survivor Series and the Shield was making our debut that night. I was nervous and so were Colby and Joe. We were talking things over when all of a sudden, I heard this laughter ringing out and it was so beautiful. I looked up, completely ignoring my teammates, and I saw you. You were with Nikki and Brie and you guys were giggling about something Bryan had done. I had never seen anyone more utterly beautiful in my entire life. Your cheeks were flushed from laughing and your hair was full and shiny and your body...damn, your body. I wanted to have you from that day, to be near you and not just physically, ya know. I wanted to be your friend, someone who you could talk to about anything. I wanted to know all your hopes, your fears, your dreams...all that corny shit. I was so lost in my thoughts that Colby and Joe turned around to see what I was looking at and I haven't heard the end of it...even now. Joe told me who you were and it scared the shit out of me at first. I had heard so much about the vaunted McMahons, but had only met Stephanie and she's...well, you're her sister, you know what I mean. So, instead of talking to you immediately, I held back. Had to know what you were like. Not that it would've mattered cause you were with someone and all. But I swore to myself on that day that I would be in your life somehow even if all we ever are is friends."

She'd been nursing her drink the entire time he was talking and slowly finished it, placing her empty glass on the table. Leaning back up, she took a moment of contemplation before making her firm decision. She sat up and placed her left leg over Jon's lap, pushing herself up. His hands came naturally to her hips, thinking she was a little tipsy from the drinks. So he was understandably a little shocked when she kept going and straddled him fully. His eyebrows were skyhigh in surprise but he decided to just go with it, liking this unpredictable side of Scarlett. She nestled against him, their hips locked together. He was trying really hard to keep his thoughts in control, not wanting to embarrass her or himself if his pants got tighter than they already were. She leaned over, her lips coming to rest against his ear.

"I liked that story. Thank you."

She sat back up and he grinned, "You're most welcome."

"So what happened afterwards?"

"Huh?"

"You said you had to know what I was like. What did you find out?"

Jon laughed softly and sat up fully, moving his hands up to her sides, stroking lightly.

"I found out that you were even more perfect than I had imagined. The first time that I actually met you at gorilla, you were so sweet. It was, like, two weeks or so after my debut and you wanted to know if I was okay and settling in good. I wanted to know all about you but you didn't want to talk about yourself, which is weird cause everybody always wants to talk about themselves. But not you, all you cared about was my well-being even though you didn't know me at all. The more I asked around about you, everybody just gushed about how you were the most down-to-earth girl in the entire world and how it would be so awesome if one day, you were running the company. I asked Glenn about that one day, about why you wouldn't run the company and he told me that you didn't want to. You were content to be the figure in the background, the one who held it all together. And that's what I admire most about you. The shows, man, they wouldn't run without you."

Scarlett rolled her eyes dramatically, "Whatever. They would run just fine. Surely, there's somebody competent enough to do my job."

"Well, yeah, of course, but it wouldn't be the same. Without you and your sunshine radiating everywhere, I think almost everyone would be miserable. Sure, we'd still work cause it's what we love and the money's good, but we wouldn't love working where we do. You're one of the main reasons I love coming to work every day and I know I'm not the only one who feels that way."

The smile on her face was huge and unabashed and she brought her hands up to the sides of his face, caressing softly.

"Why didn't you tell me this before?"

"Well, you were with someone else and I may be a lot of things, but I don't ruin relationships especially when they're happy ones."

Her smile dropped, "Well, that all went to shit anyway."

His hand came up to her face, "You can talk about it, you know? I'd listen if you ever wanted to."

Scarlett's head shook slowly and she turned to kiss his palm, "Not today. I'm having a good time and don't want to ruin it."

"Well, what can I do to get a smile back on your gorgeous face?"

Her lips went up into a smirk, "Oh, I can think of a thing or two."

She leaned forward and captured his lips with her own. His hands immediately tangled in her hair and brought her closer. Her arms looped around his neck and she sighed into the kiss, letting all the stress wash away and just enjoyed the feeling he was giving her. And oh, believe me, there was feeling. Their kisses progressed from the first, which was chaste and sweet to passionate and consuming. His heart was singing for the fact that she had kissed him first and he wanted her to know his appreciation. His tongue snaked out to slide across her bottom lip, begging for access which she swiftly gave. Their tongues dueled together in a race to explore each other. She would sometimes pull back only to nip at his lip and he'd let out an involuntary low growl that would turn her on even more. His hands moved from her hair to her back, then to her sides and arms. He did this over and over. He could feel her tank top and shorts under his hands and wanted to rip them off so he could explore her more fully, but contained himself, remembering where they were. He didn't know if she remembered though, seeing as how her fingers had slipped under his shirt and were ghosting over his abs. Finally pulling back and breathing heavily, he looked at her, enjoying the sheen of lust that was in her emerald eyes.

"Darlin, I hate to do this but we are in public. Maybe we should take this somewhere else."

"Why? Thought you liked a little adventure."

He chuckled softly, "Oh I do, but I didn't want anyone taking a video and it winding up all over the internet tomorrow."

She laughed out loud, that beautiful noise that he loved, "Damn, I can just imagine: Dean Ambrose and unidentified woman making out in seedy Baltimore bar. Of course, I wouldn't stay unidentified for long and that would just send everything into a whirl, wouldn't it?"

He nodded slowly, "Most likely."

She leaned back in, but this time only kissed his cheek, "Thank you for protecting my honor. You're always a g-man."

He sighed, "No problem. Wait...g-man? What the fuck is that?"

Her mischievous grin met his bewildered eyes, "A certain word you hate but your behavior always shows you up and reveals your true nature."

It was his turn to roll his eyes.

"One day, I'm going to do something heinous and you'll never call me that again."

"Well, until that day, it's sticking. Now why don't we get out of here before we end up on TMZ?"

"Good idea! We could go back to your room and watch a movie or something."

Getting up and linking hands, he paid for the rest of their drinks and they made their way to the door. As they were walking out, she stopped him beside the car. Running her hands through his hair, she leaned up on her tiptoes to kiss him again. A simple, sweet kiss.

"I can't. I'm sorry. I would love it if you walked me to my room and kissed me goodnight but I can't let you in. Eventually but I can't just yet. Do you understand?"

He sighed softly, "As much as one part of me wants to scream no, the other, bigger part understands. We can take this as slowly as you need to."

"Thank you...so much."

Getting back into the car, he entwined their hands again and they drove back to the hotel in silence, her still singing softly to Linda Ronstadt and him enjoying listening. When they disembarked and got up to the room, he did as she said and kissed her softly, lingering, showing her exactly what she meant to him.

"One day...," he whispered.

Her smile was all he needed, "One day."

*********khan*********

Thanks for reading.


End file.
